The Replacement
by specialvictimsfan
Summary: Detective Stabler, I'd like you to meet your new partner..."
1. Introductions

Disclaimer: They aren't mine, they're Mr. Wolf's. Don't sue me, I'm just borrowing them 'cause they're so much fun.  
  
Elliot fiddled aimlessly and angrily through his locker in the squad room. His careless rampage was halted as his eyes caught sight of the name that had not yet been removed from the locker next to his. The name stung at him, and a flood of anger and guilt overcame him all over again. 'Rosetti,' he glared hopelessly at the printed name with a glossed-over expression of sadness and remorse. Greater than his feelings of loss or sorrow were his feelings of guilt and regret over what had happened to Dave. The department shrink told him that 'those feelings were totally normal.' 'Fuck that' Elliot thought, 'the department shrink didn't just lose his partner.' His closest friend and loyal partner was gone, he was supposed to be there for him and he felt like he had failed him.  
  
Slamming his locker shut with vigor, he pounded his hand onto the metal door in utter frustration. "Detective" the captain stated eerily as if he had been watching him in silence during his lapse of self-pity.  
  
He understood what Elliot was going through, but didn't have any toleration for violent outbursts. Elliot leaned against the lockers and conceded, "Sorry, Cap'n, it won't happen again."  
  
"Detective, I'd like to see you in my office." Elliot wasn't in the mood for any of this bureaucratic shit, and he thought Cragen knew that. Elliot pushed himself out of his slumped over position and winced his usual angry wince before following Cragen into his office. He didn't think there was anything that Cragen could fry him over this time. He had taken some time off from the job and was more nervous than usual, thinking he was about to be grilled about some non-existent brutality complaint or the like. He reached the door of Cragen's office, gripped the handle vigorously and entered cautiously.  
  
As he entered the office, he caught site of her. Across from him was a tall, dark-haired woman with deep brown eyes that met his vacant gaze. Mysteriously beautiful Elliot was taken aback and lost in his imagination. "Detective, I'd like you to meet your new partner, Detective Olivia Benson." Elliot felt himself loose his footing in confusion and intrigue. "Detective Benson, this is Detective Elliot Stabler." Cragen continued his formal introduction skit, "The two of you will be working together from now on, as partners."  
  
Hearing that title, 'partners' Elliot felt a certain, almost jealousy overcome him. He didn't really want anyone to replace Dave, and this woman standing across from him seemed the unlikeliest partner that he could've imagined, no matter how intriguing he found her to be.  
  
"Nice to meet you" Elliot's words were detached, empty and emotionless. He nodded blankly as politely as possible while his mind continued wandering places that it hadn't wandered in quite some time. Mesmerized by her stunning presence, all he could do was gaze...  
  
"Detective," Cragen's command quickly shocked Elliot out of his momentary lapse of consciousness. "Is there a problem, Detective?"  
  
"No...no problem...sorry captain." confused and slightly embarrassed, he slid out the room quietly for his desk. 


	2. First Impressions

Elliot's head rose vigilantly from the mountain of paperwork he had the pleasure of tackling when Cragen's door opened a few moments later. He was cautious, almost timid to raise his eyes to hers.  
  
"Hey," his new partner threw him a friendly greeting in her attempt to break his awkward silence.  
  
"Hi, how are you," the polite, somewhat uneasy small talk continued from his end.  
  
"I'm pretty good thanks, but you seem like you've seen better days there, Detective." She was reading him. This new partner of his was reading into him. He wasn't quite sure if he enjoyed it playfully or loathed it jealously.  
  
"You could say that," Elliot seemed to be loosening up a bit to his new partner. However, his attempts at learning more about his new, exotically beautiful partner were abruptly halted.  
  
"Looks like you two just caught your first case together, Detectives." Cragen came striding out of his office commanding his detectives to the first case they would work together.  
  
"We're on it." Elliot rose immediately, adjusting his tie and swinging his jacket around his broad shoulders in anticipation of getting back on the job.  
  
"Detective Benson," Cragen motioned to Olivia Benson with a comforting tone while still seeming over-bearing. "You alright to handle this."  
  
"Yes, Captain, trust me, I got this. Thanks" Olivia smiled a bittersweet smile before giving him a slight nod of her head.  
  
Elliot stared confused as he witnessed Cragen's conversation with Detective Benson.  
  
"You coming or what?" Elliot tried to break the silent tension with a slightly sarcastic statement.  
  
"We're partners, aren't we?" Olivia smirked. She collected her coat in her arms and followed her partner out of the doors of the 1-6 for the first time.  
  
===========  
  
"Our chariot awaits us" Elliot grinned and motioned toward their police sedan.  
  
They simultaneously slid into their respective seats in the car as Elliot hastily pulled away from the curb.  
  
Silence again encompassed the two detectives as they fought their way through mid-day traffic. Elliot's erratic driving and seeming lack of attention at the road proved to be the first conversation starter of their ride.  
  
"You do have a license, right?" She was half joking and half scared for her life. "What do you say I drive, you seem like you're a bit preoccupied, Stabler."  
  
"Preoccupied?" He shot a diminutive angry glare at his passenger. "If you don't like it, you can just get out, no one's making you put up with me."  
  
"Are you always this polite, or is this just a special initiation for me? I don't need this, you know." Elliot had yet to learn that pissing Olivia off wasn't such a smart idea.  
  
He started fuming and spitting words faster than he was thinking, "You know maybe if you just lost you're partner to a .9mm you'd understand why I'm 'not that polite' at the moment, detective."  
  
Her expression softened somewhat, and Elliot found it hard to look at her, ashamed that he had mouthed off like that to her.  
  
"I'm sorry..." Her appearance grew sympathetic while still remaining defensive.  
  
"Just forget it, okay."  
  
"Right, so you can just sit there and sulk, and feel sorry for yourself and have others feel sorry for you too." Maybe she would have been more compassionate to his situation had he not crossed her the wrong way before they even had a chance to get acquainted with one another.  
  
"You really know how to beat a guy when he's down, don't you?"  
  
"You brought this on yourself, Stabler."  
  
"Oh well, excuse me, excuse me Detective Benson, excuse me for being upset, obviously you wouldn't know anything about being upset."  
  
"You have no idea, you know that."  
  
"Yeah, well then enlighten me, Benson." He could tell his sarcastic statement hit some kind of nerve within his partner that he should not have hit. At least not the way he just did.  
  
"Like you said, 'just forget I said anything'" She rolled her eyes painfully. She turned her head to the window, her hand on her head, turning the back of her head and dark hair towards Elliot.  
  
The rest of the ride was understandably made in silence. 


	3. New Beginnings

The car stopped jerkily as Elliot clumsily maneuvered it between other squad cars in the road. Intentionally ignoring each other, they approached the crime scene tape cautiously, both lifting it above their heads as they ducked under.  
  
"Detective Elliot Stabler, Special Victims, this is my partner..."  
  
"Detective Benson." She cut him off, not wanting an introduction from him.  
  
He tried to overlook the obvious insult. "What do we have?" he directed his question forcefully to the officer in front of him in a controlling fashion.  
  
"Caucasian female, late twenties or early thirties. No wallet or purse, so it was probably lifted. There's evidence that it was a sexual assault. He did a number on her, I don't think you'll be able to get anything out of her until she's in a hospital."  
  
"Thanks." Elliot nodded understandingly and headed to the CSU Technician at the scene.  
  
Olivia stood there watching as the paramedics lifted their rape victim into the back of the ambulance. She told herself she had to be strong, that she couldn't break down like this. She had to suck it up, letting weakness show was not a possibility, especially in front of Elliot Stabler.  
  
After what had felt like hours interviewing witnesses and combing through the crime scene, they headed back to the sedan.  
  
She was already sitting in the passenger seat of the car by the time Elliot reached the driver's side. She had her head facing the window, once again alienating her partner harshly. He figured that he would have to get used to this shunning routine of hers.  
  
"Olivia," He wanted to comfort her, she was in distress, and he knew she was hiding pain with anger. It was the first time that he called her by her first name, rather than 'Benson' or 'Detective.' His hand gently cradled the curve of her shoulder as he tried to get through to her. "You okay?"  
  
She sighed deeply, straightening up and composing herself before turning to face Elliot's deep blue gaze. His hand fell from her shoulder delicately, not wanted to invade her space.  
  
Her bottom lip quivered slightly as she managed a faint "I'm fine."  
  
The response didn't seem to satisfy Elliot, "you don't seem fine, I can tell something is bothering you. I'm sorry I was a asshole to you before, if that's why you're upset, I really am sorry." He was apologizing compassionately.  
  
"No, it's not you, I'm not mad at you, Elliot. It's just..."  
  
"It's just what? Talk to me, I don't want to start this thing off on the wrong foot."  
  
"It's just me" Tears began to slowly well up in her eyes.  
  
"What about you?" He turned himself so he was completely facing her.  
  
"About why I'm here."  
  
"What do you mean? About how Rosetti shot himself and you volunteered for Sex Crimes." He was definitely confused.  
  
She sniffed slightly and raised her hand to her eyes wiping away a stray tear, "No, not exactly, Elliot. It's really nothing to worry about."  
  
"It is something for me to worry about. You're my partner now, and partners have to be there for each other, Olivia. I wasn't there for my partner when he needed me, and I'm not going to let that happen again. I want to be there for you, no matter what, you have to trust me." Her overwhelming beauty encompassed him and he wanted nothing more but to cradle her in his arms and make her suffering go away. He twirled his finger instinctively around his wedding ring while still gazing into her eyes.  
  
She closed her eyes momentarily as she attempted to smile at him. Taking a deep breath she flipped her hair out of her eyes and broke her gaze with Elliot to stare straight ahead noticing the raindrops that had started to collect on the windshield. "About thirty years ago, my, um, my mother was raped, by a total stranger. She found out she was pregnant and well, decided not to get an abortion. I'm that baby that she chose to keep." Her hands covered her eyes as she tried not to show any more emotion.  
  
He took her hand into his, caressing it gently. He knew the affection was perhaps inappropriate, but concluded that words would be useless. He pushed the hair out of her face that had found its way out from behind her ear.  
  
"I didn't want to do this," She was somber and serious.  
  
"I'm glad you did." 


End file.
